Comments on vonmetz site

Breakeup of the Phobos-Grunt probe

2012-01-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

An artist's conception shows the breakup of the Phobos-Grunt probe during the final phases of its atmospheric re-entry.

Space probe crashes into Pacific, Russians say

2012-01-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

Space probe crashes into Pacific, Russians say

Happy New Year - Auld Lang Syne by Sissel (Live).wmv

2012-01-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

For the Year of 2012...

2011-12-29T16:51:00.000-08:00

New years come and new years go,
Pieces of time all in a row.
As we live our life, every second and minute,
We know we're privileged to have you in it.
Our appreciation never ends
For our greatest blessings: our family and friends.

Happy New Year!

Santo (Sacred Songs) - Juan Diego Flórez sings "Cantique De Noel"

2011-12-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to All!

2011-12-19T12:09:00.001-08:00

Christmas Bells
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The worlds repeat
Of peace of earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of the Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace of earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth" I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Warm message from Antrartica...

2011-12-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

This picture of the Emperor Penguins is from the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest. How appropriate for our Christmas Season!

On Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

Hard for me to believe that Thanksgiving is here again and we are approaching Advent.

I'm thinking about my far-away family and American friends and sending my prayers along with my "Happy Thanksgiving" wishes.

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Staney, Meuse in France, waiting for the end of hostilities. This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending of World War I went into effect.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T12:38:00.001-07:00

Ode to Autumn

2011-10-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

The well-known poem by John Keats, read by Neil Conrich.

To Autumn - John Keats

2011-10-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

I might be a bit old fashioned, but...

2011-10-14T07:55:00.001-07:00

National Alpaca Farm Days

2011-09-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association declared National Alpaca Farm Days on September 24-25 2011 to give people the opportunity to visit and learn about alpacas and meet people living this satisfying and rewarding lifestyle. Every farm has their unique style of welcoming and educating visitors.

Alpaca is a domesticated spices of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance. Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas and are bred specially for their fiber. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, similar to wool. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America, and sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors.

The first picture was taken in an Alpaca Farm at the Central Coast of California by my son who visited this farm with his wife on the National Farm Day.

One of my granddaughters is a Graduate student of an University in Cleveland, Ohio, and she took advantage of the occasion to visit a near-by Alpaca Farm.

Ode of Remembrance

2011-08-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

World War I, or the First World War, formerly called The Great War, was a major war centered in Europe that began in August 1914 and lasted until November 1918.

The poet Laurence Binyon wrote "For the Fallen (first published in September 1914) while sitting on the cliffs between Pentire Point and The Rumps. A stone plaque was erected in 2001 to commemorate the fact. The plaque bears the inscription "For the Fallen/Composed on these cliffs 1914". The plaque also bears below this the fourth stanza (sometimes referred as the Ode of Remembrance) of the poem:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

The poem honored the World War I British war dead of that time and in particular the British Expeditionary Force, which has by then already high casualty rates on the developing Western Front. Over time, the third and fourth stanzas of the poem were claimed as a tribute to all casualties of war, regardless of state.

My Dahlias....

2011-08-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

While most of the states are suffering from the extended heat, here in Oregon we are having a pleasant, moderate summer. Our spring was cool and very wet, therefore my garden looks like a jungle now. I am spending few hours every day pulling weeds and trimming flowers and bushes, and by the evenings I am aching and exhausted. But my flowers are exceptionally beautiful this summer.

Do you know what this is?

2011-07-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home of the 4th Infantry Division. It will eventually shipped home and put into the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas.

The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Suddam that dotted Baghdad. Kalat was so grateful for the America's liberation of his country; he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam and made the statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors.

Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months. To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms.

Silverton Reservoir (Oregon)

2011-06-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

Although not so popular as the nearby Silver Falls State Park (which is upstream from this reservoir), this small park offers some beautiful locations for hiking, fishing, kayaking, and peaceful spots to set up a hammock for a nice afternoon nap.

My younger son, George flew up from California to be with me during my second eye surgery in a month. He loves the outdoors and took me for a little hiking to the reservoir on the day after my surgery. Nothing makes me to heal faster than the fresh air in a beautiful surrounding.

Summer is here again...

2011-06-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

A beautiful bouquet from Thormane, Margit Kiss, Hungarian artist (Eger, 1901 - Nagybanya, December 24, 1977).

Don't Cry for Me Argentina, Elaine Paige

2011-06-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

This video is available again. She gives me so much joy, I would like to share her with you.

On Memorial Day...

2011-05-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who died in all wars.

My Choice 367 - Lucia Popp: Solveig's Song (Grieg)

2011-05-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

My previously publisheded video of this song is not available anymore. This newest version is made up with beautiful photoes of Switzerland, simple and beauutiful, just like Greig's Solveig's Song from "Peer Gynt".

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Mother and Child by Francis Coates Jones, 1885.

Gentre-figure painter Francis Coates Jones, born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1857, first expressed interest in art in 1876 when visiting Edwin Abbey. In the autumn of 1887 he went to Paris to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

My brother sent me this greeting card from Hungary and I would like to share it with you with my best wishes for Easter.

Christ before Pilate

2011-04-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Munkacsy, 1880, - Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest.

Mihaly Munkacsy (February 20, 1844 - May 1, 1900) was a Hungarian painter, who lived in Paris and earned an international reputation with his large scale biblical paintings.

Eagle Nest with Chicks

2011-04-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

This is just fascinating. www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

Walk with me by the water...

2011-04-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent this to me, I found it very inspiring.

A BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE ABOUT GROWING OLDER

Oh gosh, I forgot the words..

Recovering my posting...

2011-04-10T02:44:00.000-07:00

While I was editing my blog the other day, I accidentally deleted my two latest postings! I guess, I was experiencing my "senior moments".

Here is my March 17, Saint Patrick's Day posting:

May I express my best wishes to all my Irish friends and readers. God bless you all!

The windows of St. Mary Magdalen Chapel

2011-02-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

This lovely chapel was built during the WWI years from the contributions and dreams of the Camarillo Family in Camarillo, California. The most notable fixtures of this Spanish style building are its magnificent 13 stained windows. These azure, crimson, green and gold windows tell a double story - one of the life of Christ, the other of a world at war.

While on a trip to Europe, Juan Camarillo selected the windows in Munich, Germany. The year was 1913, and the rumbles of the continent gathering its strength for conflict were growing with each passing day. Somewhere between the studios of glassblower F. X. Zettler of Munich and the church on a hilltop in faraway Camarillo, the stained glass windows were lost. Despite the best efforts of the Camarillo family through consuls and ambassadors, the windows appeared to be lost forever. Juan Camarillo feared they were at the bottom of the sea.

One day a letter arrived from a German official. This official in Munich had been noticing several large crates staked outside a building with Juan's name on them. He had written Juan several letters and finally one got through at the end of Word War 1. Much to the joy and relief of everyone, the lost windows had been found. However, it was a painfully slow and long trek to Los Angeles, and then on to Camarillo, before they were finally replacing the temporary, heavy paper windows in the thick brick and plastered chapel walls in 1919.

Our marriage was officiated in this beautiful chapel in 1985. I'm dedicating this story to my dearly loved husband's memory who departed three years ago.

On Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

Wishing the happiest Valentine's Day to all my Blog Friends!

Old lady Hits Robbers With Handbag and takes them down

2011-02-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

WOW! Where she got her energy from? I bet she doesn't play Pogo all day like some of us old girls do...

Vesti la Giubba

2011-01-27T11:44:00.000-08:00

The great Bjorling sings from Leoncavallo's "I Pagliacci", "Vesti la Guibba", possibly in 1953.

Jussi Bjorling (1911-1960) was a Swedish operatic tenor and a highly regarded singer. He was one of the few non-Latin tenors to rival the Italian dominance of the opera world a that time.

Happy New Year - Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T13:43:00.001-08:00

As an old Hungarian custom, lencse leves (lentil soup) eaten on New Years Day will bring financial success. But it is delicious on cold ordinary winter days also.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dry lentils
2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cooking oil or lard

2 heaped tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon paprika

4 frankfurters, sliced

1 teaspoon vinegar or 2 tablespoon sour cream

Water

Wash the lentils in cold water and pick them over, discarding any shriveled or black ones. Pleace them in a cooking pot and add 6 cups of water, bay leaves and salt. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with lid and simmer for 35 minutes. Add in the carrots. Bring back to simmer and continue cooking for about 25-30 more minutes. Take out the bay leaves.

For the roux, heat up the oil or lard in a 3-quart saucepan and saute the onion until it is translutent. Stir in the paprika.

Stir in the flour and cook on low heat for 3 more minutes, stirring constantly.

Poor the hot soup into the roux, stirring gently all the while. Add in the frankfurters and cook uncovered on low heat for 10 more minutes. Stir in the vinegar or sour cream right before serving.

Merry Christmas to All!

2010-12-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

Virgin and Child in Glory

by Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1617-82)

Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK

National Museums Liverpool

Bridgeman Art Library

Advent...

2010-12-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec.24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve proper beginning at sundown.

The Advent wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition. However, the actual origins are uncertain. There is evidence of pre-Christian Germanic peoples using wreathes with lit candles during the cold and dark December days as a sign of hope in the future warm and extended-sunlight days of Spring. In Scandinavia during Winter, lighted candles were placed around a wheel, and prayers were offered to the god of light to turn "the wheel of the earth" back toward the sun to lengthen the days and restore warmth.

By the Middle Ages, the Christians adapted this tradition and used Advent wreathes as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas.

The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. A tradition is that each week represents one thousand years, to sum to the 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the birth of the Savior.

Three candles are purple and one is rose. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and good works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord's first coming into the world and the anticipation of His second coming to judge the living and the dead.

The light again signifies Christ, the Light of the world.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T12:31:00.001-08:00

Thank you Lord for all the good and beautiful things in our lives.

Good Old Maxine...

2010-11-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

Now how she knows how I feel sometimes?

Memento

2010-10-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

On the 54-th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution I am paying respect to the martyrs who were executed between 1945 and 1956 in Hungary.

The latest on the tragedy

2010-10-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

Crews race to tackle Hungary spill - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Good bye, Summer!

2010-10-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

Paying a tribute with the last flowers from my garden.

Yosemite National Park, California, USA

2010-09-22T08:45:00.001-07:00

A rare sight!

This park was gazette as a national park in 1890. It is famous for its rugged terrain, waterfall and century-old pine trees. It covers 1200 sq km and the "fire" waterfall of El Capitan is one of the most spectacular of all scenery.

The spectacular view of the waterfall is created by the reflection of sunlight hitting the falling water at a specific angle. This rare sight can only be seen at a 2-week period towards the end of February. To photograph this rare event, photographers would often have to wait and endure years of patience in order to capture them. The reason is because its appearance depend on a few natural phenomenon's occurring at the same time and luck. It compounds the difficulty of getting these pictures.

Someone did!!! And we all get to see it!!!

Havasi in Mariazell - 05. dez. 2009.

2010-08-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

My latest discovery is the young Hungarian composer and pianist.

Too hot to run around the block?

2010-08-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Looks like a perfect solution!

A Strange Old Lady Moved In...

2010-08-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

My older son drove up from California to visit me for few days and to celebrate my 76th birthday on August 12. He presented me with a beautiful bouquet of summer flowers and I took some pictures for my memory album.

We had a wonderful time regardless of the 96 degree heat outside; he took me out for dinner and watched old movies on videos.

I have received many well wishes through e-mails and phone calls from family and friends, and my day was filled with laughter and happiness. But I got a kick out of a poem that one of my friend has sent me, especially when I'm looking at the above picture. So, here is a portion of the poem:

A very weird thing has happened.

A strange old lady has moved into my house..

I have no idea who she is,

where she came from,

or how she got in.

I certainly did not invite her.

All I know is that one day she wasn't there

and the next day she was.

She is very clever.

She manages to keep out of sight

for the most part,

but whenever I pass a mirror,

I catch a glimpse of her.

And whenever I look in the mirror directly,

to check my appearance,

there she is, hogging the whole thing

and completely obliterating my gorgeous face and body.

This is very rude.

I have tried screaming at her to stop it,

but she just screams back, grimacing horribly.

She is really quite frightening!

Who On Earth Can It Be?

Hungarian Strawberry Cake

2010-07-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

I know it is still too hot to fire up the oven (we are having a heat wave in the last week or so), but few weeks ago I took advantage of the fresh strawberries and much cooler weather. And here is the yummy result: a Hungarian Strawberry/Chocolate Cake, made from Oregon Strawberries.

Oregon strawberries are one of the oldest and best loved agricultural crops. It would not be summer in Oregon without a bowl of red ripe berries, or a luscious dessert of strawberry shortcake (a strawberry/chocolate cake in my case).

Oregon strawberries are known world wide for their exceptional taste, deep red color, and intensive sweetness. There are many reasons why these strawberries are so sweet, red and juicy, but one of the most important ones is our climate. Oregon has a long mild spring and early summer. We have lots of rain and often have cool nights and warm sunny days. The berries stay on the vine and ripen slowly, allowing the sugars to increase before harvest. If you take a drive in the country during berry season, you will see acres of strawberry plants which add to the beauty of the Oregon landscape.

Lopez Tonight - Betty White is a Whore

2010-06-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

I am just simply amazed by her - my favored "Golden Girl" at the age of 88!

For Memorial Day

2010-05-29T15:03:00.001-07:00

Oregon in May - Pictures from my garden

Hidden dangers.

2010-05-22T13:11:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago I was mowing the lawn in my backyard and ran over some low-growth ivy that up to now I used to trim by hand, but bending down these days would be much painful. About 4 feet from the house, hidden in the ivy, there was a natural gas line capped about 1 inch above the ground. As I mowed over the area a sudden explosion lifted my mower a foot or so and the gas was fast hissing up into the air. I pulled the mower very fast as far away as I could, ran into my house and called 911. In minutes (with the sirens going full blast) four huge fire trucks appeared, eight firemen in gas masks, and all the neighbors of my street. Police cars blocked off the street and everybody was ordered far away from my place (including me, whose knees were still shaking).

Hoses were pulled, gas and electric company trucks showed up while it took them about one good hour to stop the leak and re-cap the old, rusty pipe.

I do not have natural gas in my house and nobody has it in the neighborhood either. I live here 16 years without even noticing this very old gas line hidden in my yard. I have no idea if the gas company knew about it or not, but certainly has neglected to mark it. I was very lucky to escape a disaster, and now the line is completely cut off from the main.

Somebody sure was watching over me.

For the Mothers of the World - I could not find more expressive song than Tom Jones' live recording

2010-05-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Ross Sisters

2010-04-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=BNR74UCidBI&feature=player_embedded

Spring Excercise

2010-04-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is a video of an act from 1944 - a sister act of the Ross Sisters.

Remember in 1944 they did not use "special effects".

Hope you enjoy it!

My Edsel...

2010-04-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

I bought a secondhand 1958 Edsel once, way back in 1965. This car was a beauty; it had everything, V8 engine, electronic locks and windows, white leather seats - and an ailing constitution, with multiple problems. But we had fun with it and a hilarious story comes back to my mind.

I was driving down on the street; at the first stop sign the car started to shudder and with a final kick the motor died. My three children (quite young and pesky that time) were jumping up and down in the back seat with excitement and anticipation. They knew their mother will perform an act of resurrection, just like she had many-many times in the past few weeks. I had to hurry, because a line of cars were honking impatiently behind us. So, I jumped out from behind the wheel with my hairbrush in my hand; opened the hood, took off the air filter and stuck my brush into the carburetor to hold the choke open. Then rushed back into the car, and successfully started up the engine while my kids were cheering in the back. All I had to do after that was to remove my brush and with the filter back in place slam the hood down, and we were (and everybody behind us) happily on our way.

Later, at my friend's suggestion, I had the carburetor sprayed with W40, but all the screws fell out and had to be replaced. However, when the brakes and the electronic windows started to fail and the mechanic had a very vague offer of fixing them, I had to get rid of this "lemon", my very first car.

Happy Easter!

2010-03-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Celebrating with the beautiful paintings of two great Italian Renaissance artists:

Tintoretto (Jacopo Comin, 1518-1594)

Sanzio Raffaello (1483-1520)

Ede Ujhazi and the Chicken Soup

2010-03-13T13:27:00.001-08:00

There is no tastier chicken soup than the Hungarian Ujhazi Tyukleves, which was named after the famous Hungarian, Ede Ujhazi (1844 - 1915). He was an excellent dramatic and comic character actor, a pioneer of the realistic acting. He also enjoyed cooking for himself and for his fellow artist buddies.

Many legends surrounding his career, but the most memorable is the creation of his chicken soup while visiting a small restaurant in the city of Budapest. Obviously, the soup he was served with had not measured up to his expectation, because Ede gave instruction to the cook to prepare the dish again from a mature hen and add various vegetables, garnishes, and noodles into it. As the result was still not quite satisfactory, the actor told the chef to use a slice of round beef also to enhance the strength of the soup. The next day Ede tasted the newly prepared soup and finally expressed his total satisfaction.

And from that time this is the soup that the Hungarians serve on weddings and holidays, and most certainly, at the Gundel Restaurant in the last 100 years. But even without special occasions, serving Ujhazi Tyukleves to your family or guests is making you a winner.

(Recipe can be found in my Hungarian Recipe website, under the name of Ujhazi Tyukleves.)

2010 Winter Olympic - Vancouver, Canada

2010-02-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a break from most of my daily activities to watch the Olympic games every day, and every night.

Silly old me - I m sliding down on the ski slopes, bouncing in the bobsled and jumping and turning on the ice with the sensational young athletes from all around the World.

Andy Williams - Where Do I Begin [ Love Story ]

2010-02-11T16:15:00.001-08:00

True love is forever...

Woman trapped in earthquake 'coffin' is rescued after eight days - Times Online

2010-01-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Woman trapped in earthquake 'coffin' is rescued after eight days - Times Online

I got very emotional after reading this story and I would like to share with you.

Major earthquake hits Haiti

2010-01-17T22:29:00.001-08:00

Haiti was rocked on January 12 by the largest earthquake ever recorded in the area. The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered about 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince.

This situation in Haiti is desperate. Some 50,000 people are believed to be dead while countless others are said to be injured or homeless. It is feared that many more will die if the wounded are not given immediate medical attention.

Drumbeats called the faithful to a Sunday Mass praising God amid a scene resembling the Apocalypse - a collapsed cathedral in a city cloaked with the smell of death, where aid is slow to reach survivors and rescue crews battle to pry an ever-smaller number of the living from the ruins.

Anger has turned to violence on the streets of Haiti as survivals lose patience with the painfully slow process of getting international aid after the earthquake that authorities say may have killed 200,000 people.

Let us pray....

Happy New Year - Happy 2010!

2009-12-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas of 2009

2009-12-21T18:02:00.001-08:00

My Advent....

2009-12-06T14:27:00.001-08:00

I got involved with politics during my teenage years, as one can read it in my Family web site. The Hungarian Revolution in 1956 was a turning point in my life for escaping with my young husband to start our new life and to raise our future children in a free country.

When I am reflecting on those long and struggling years I am not surprised to find that there was no room for politics in my life. But I was praying for the ending of the Korean and Vietnamese wars, and was overjoyed when in Europe the Iron Curtain fell with the Berlin walls.

In the past decade I am getting more and more disturbed by the political maneuverings, the actions of the groups of terrorists, and with the wars and blood sheds. During the time of Advent I am praying again very hard for the honesty and wisdom of the leaders that they will promote World's peace and our future with their decisions.

Approaching Christmas season

2009-11-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

A suspected uranium-enrichment facility near Qom

While getting into the the warm and loving holiday spirit, one can not overlook the brewing dangers of the World.

World powers united in condemnation of Iran's nuclear activities yesterday in a rare show of international consensus on the threat posed by Tehran's continued nuclear defiance. China and Russia joined the United States, Britain, France and Germany in backing an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution censuring Iran and ordering it to halt construction of a secret uranium enrichment plant.

The resolution, the first since February 2006, passed with 25 votes and six abstentions. Only Malaysia, Venezuela and Cuba supported Iran. (picture and quotation from the Times)

Tristan and Isolde

2009-11-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

"Tristan and Isolde is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based on the romance by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was composed between 1856 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bulow conducting."

"Wagner composition of Tristan and Isolde was inspired by his affair with Mathilda Wesendonck and the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer. Widely acknowledged as one of the peaks of the operatic repertory. Tristan was notable for Wagner's advanced use of chromaticism, tonality, orchestral color and harmonic suspension." (from Wikipedia)

I had had the good fortune in November of 1955 to attend to the opera of Tristan and Isolde at the Hungarian Opera House in Budapest. It was an unforgettable evening for me.

Unfortunately I do not have chances like that anymore, and that is why I was so thrilled few days ago when listening to BBC Radio 3's live production from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. (Antonio Pappano conductor, tenor Ben Heppner and soprano Nina Stemme as the tragic lovers.)

Edith Piaf - Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Mortes)

2009-11-01T12:16:00.001-08:00

The Song from my youth...

Summer and Fall.

2009-10-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Just about a month ago my daughter came to visit me for few days. We took advantage of the gorgeous weather and drove out to the countryside to enjoy the last days of the Summer. She took a picture of me sitting on a boulder by the Santiam River.

But the Fall came fast and uninvited; I took the second picture of my old dogwood tree few days ago. And I'm glad I did, because the rainstorm of last night left my tree completely barren of the leaves.

Jack and Jill

2009-10-16T12:59:00.001-07:00

I have a pair of squirrel in my backyard, and I have named them Jack and Jill. I have no idea of their genders, and was assuming that they are a happy playful couple jumping from trees to trees, just like a pair of acrobats. My neighbor has a huge filbert tree by our redwood fence, and the little animals spending quite a time collecting and hiding the nuts.

I was desperately trying to take some pictures of the squirrels, but had not much luck, so I am using the above picture from Wikipedia.

Occasionally I also have a raccoon, who comes to drink from the wide bowl of water I had put out for him for his nightly visits, and he leaves his autograph faithfully in the grass.

Two summers ago I had seen quite a few little brown rabbits too, and even a deer came once to visit my yard. But sorry to say that lately my wildlife got curtailed by the neighboring developers, who is taking bigger and bigger chunks out of the surrounding land. Thank goodness for the flocks of birds that are still around.

And because Halloween is just right around the corner, I have to mention that sometimes a cute little brown bat is hiding in one of my awnings during day times.

I wonder if we are looking forward to a harsh winter.

What about older people?

2009-10-08T16:04:00.001-07:00

The good news is that according to the Newsletter of Mayo Clinic, the swine flu vaccine targets the H1N1 virus that made its first reported appearance in the United States and Mexico in spring 2009.

This vaccine will be available for the public before the predicted major outbreak in this winter.

But would it be enough for all of us?

"The risk of swine flu infection is lower for people age 65 or older than for younger people. As vaccine supply and demand among younger age groups is being met, the swine flu vaccine will be offered to people over the age of 65."

This is something new for me, quite opposite what was in practice in the past.

Growing up in Klotildliget, Hungary

2009-09-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Klotildliget, the small village where I was growing up, was subdivided from the properties of Habsburg-Lotaring Prince Joseph Karl in the late 1880's (as the more than 100 years old map illustratating above) at the area of the forested Pilis mountains, and was named after his wife, Klotild.

It was an ideal place for game hunting which activity was continued by his son, Prince Joseph Agost in the first half of the 20th century.

The beasts must had been abundant those days, because my mother was able to buy some venison and wild boar meat at the local butcher's shop during the hunting seasons.

One has to remember that this was the time before the communist took over Hungary at the end of WWII. By the end of 1945 everything was owned by the Communist government, and wild meats was not available anymore for the households. However, because the Hungarians do not give up easily, they have substituted it with the marinated beef.

(I'm not responsible for the incorrect spelling of "Bore" on the video.)

Charging Wild Bore

2009-09-30T12:52:00.001-07:00

This shocking short video had inspired me to post a new recipe to my Hungarian Cooking site: Vadas Hus (Hunter-style Pot Roast).

Health Savings Accounts

2009-09-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

The recent Newsletter of the Mayo Clinic deals with the possibility of opening a health savings account (HSA).

Basically it is an account into which you can deposit tax-free money to be used for future medical expenses.

Health savings accounts were established in 2003 and are becoming more common. The goal of an HSA is to reduce the money spent on health care by placing more of the responsibility on you to shop for it. (This part is a bit fuzzy to me.)

The choice of whether to start an HSA is not an easy one, and supporters and critics have different opinions on the pros and cons, as one can read it in the Newsletter.

Birthdays

2009-08-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

I received this beautiful symbolic picture from my Son for my 75th birthday, and I would like to share it with you...

I know that time has a way of moving quickly, and I wonder where all the years went. I also know that I lived them all, and thinking back sometimes makes me feel very tired and old.

Life goes by quickly, so, do what you can today. Say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember, and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past.

Thank you my children.

Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet

2009-08-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

"Oh! What a tangled web we weave

When at first we practice to deceive!"

The famous quotation from Marmion of the historical poet and novelist Sir Walter Scott.

He was born on 15 August 1771 in Edinburgh, and died 21 September 1832, Melrose, Scotland.

Deception is the act of convincing another to believe information that is not true, or not the whole truth.

Yalta Conference (1945)

2009-08-09T10:10:00.001-07:00

What was left off from this short video is the agreement of the three leaders that triggered the atom bombs for Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, the Iron Curtain for Europe, and later on the Korean, Vietnamese and the Cold Wars.

Cyber Love

2009-07-22T20:22:00.001-07:00

My old friend just sent me this cartoon, and she thinks it is very funny. Even so, lots of people are addicted to the Internet dating and using it as an escape from reality; hoping to find a perfect partner.

Only a few have the chance to actually meet in person, and then only the very few lucky ones are able to transfer the virtual sweetheart from their illusion-based fantasy worlds to the reality. However, I know about one very happy couple - a product of cyber love - who are planning to get married this Fall. They are both Senior Citizens, but not "over the hill yet".

Oregon Sky

2009-07-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

On the third day of our unusual heatwave I was hopefully looking up to the sky and saw these beautiful cloud formations.

Cirrocumulus belong to the High Cloud group (5000-13000 m). They are small rounded puffs and usually short-lived. Cirrocumulus is made of ice crystals but include liquid water droplets also.

Sometimes they look like the scales on a fish - a "mackerel" sky that may mean a change in the weather is on its way. And sure enough - to my greatest relief - by the evening our temperature has dropped by 20 degrees.

Southfall, Silver Falls State Park, Oregon

2009-06-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Summer is here before we know it, and with it comes the yard work. In this year our spring was very wet and cold, not much chance or desire to go outside and play in the mud. But now, every afternoon I go out for a few hours to pull the weeds, mow the lawn or trim the bushes. Unfortunately, I do not like to wear gloves and my poor hands suffer. This is one of my excuses for not posting in my blog lately.

The other excuse is a better one. My younger son came up from California to visit me for a few days, and we were on the go constantly. We also took a ride up to the mountains and visited one of my favored place, the Silver Falls State Park, only 25 miles from my home. The weather was warm and the sun was shining through the ancient forests, and a beautiful peace was all around us.

It is a kind of oasis, rolling hills and lush forests of the eastern Willamette Valley. Silver Falls State Park literally overflows with a variety of splendid waterfalls, trails, fascinating rock formations and greenery. It is the cool, green, rain-forest-like atmosphere that hits you as you approach this 8,700-acre state park. The fauna becomes denser and the road twists and turns a little tighter, and it is not long before you are drawn into the more than 21 miles of trails designed for hiking, biking, horse riding and of course, viewing.

Interestingly enough, you would not have thought much about the beauty of this place 16 billion years ago. Then, enormous lava flows from eruptions as far away as Idaho pushed their way into the Salem area, eventually reaching the sea. Yet it is that kind of volcanic destruction that ultimately created the beauty of the park. As each new lava flow cooled, it gave birth to new rock layers called basalt. These basalt formations were eventually cut into their present-day pathways by the various streams in the area, and then into the 11 waterfalls that are contained within Silver Falls State Park.

Memorial Day, 2009.

2009-05-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

A Day of Remembrance for those who have died in our Nation's service.

For the Mothers of the World

2009-05-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

When I left Hungary in 1956 I had no idea that I will not see my Mother for 22 years. As a young couple, my husband and I had a very hard time establishing ourselves in our new country. We also became a family when our three children were born who only knew their Grandmother through our correspondence. The years went by fast, and the children left home for jobs and school.

In 1978, for the first time since I had left home, I was becoming very homesick. I knew I could not go home yet, not even for a short visit. During the years I had invited my Mother to come out and see us, and she always declined. She was very fragile and had to use two canes for walking, and, of course her advanced age was a factor. But I think the fact that she never flew in her life also had a big part in her refusal. I wrote to her again explaining my loneliness, and after few more letters had been exchanged, my Mother finally agreed to take the long trip.

I'm still having problems describing my feelings when I first saw her emerging from Customs at the Los Angeles airport. She was sitting in a wheelchair and an attendant was pushing her. Her tired face was sparkling with happiness and tears. The children and I ran to her and held her in our arms; we took her out of the wheelchair and took her home.

She is long gone now, but I always will remember...

Swine flu: How serious is the global threat? - MayoClinic.com

2009-04-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Swine flu: How serious is the global threat? - MayoClinic.com

I have done some research on the subject, and I think I feel a bit more relaxed. However, I will follow all the precautions the Clinic recommends, and hope for the best.

For Easter....

2009-04-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

Adoration of the Holy Trinity - Landauer Altarpiece

Albrecht Durer, 1511.

Vienna, Kunshistorisches Museum

Surprise!

2009-03-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

We got a little snow last night, I was sure delighted to see that my daffodils were wearing their snow caps this morning. It was the cutest thing!

Elaine Paige- Memory Live (London 1998)

2009-03-28T03:00:00.001-07:00

For Miffie...

Spring is here....

2009-03-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Bald Eagle came down again to visit me. He was sitting on the top of a very old and tall fir tree at the neighbor's yard, and was staring at me. Once in a while, during late winter or early spring he is making his flight from the canyon, about 35 miles from me.

I was trying to take a picture of him, but my little camera doses not have a zoom feature, and my effort was futile to capture him clearly on the top of the tree. So, we were just looking at each other and my spirit was soaring.

After awhile he spread his wings and took off to the East, where he came from. And I sent my prayers with him.

Hungarian Cooking

2009-03-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

In the recent few months I have created a Hungarian cooking site to present some recipes of the dishes I used to cook for my three children throughout their growing-up years.

It is a collection of the simple Hungarian meals I was feeding my children with to accommodate our very modest lifestyle. I'm having great fun doing the site, and hopefully, the younger generation of my family will get some use out of it.

I have added the link to the sidebar, if any of the readers are interested. I'm still working on to add more recipes to the site, looks like it will keep me busy for a while. I'm also taking pictures of the dishes, and showing them with the corresponding recipe.

A Kiss in the Tunnel (1899)

2009-02-14T13:33:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

WOW! Isn't this something!

2009-02-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

One of my friends, who lives in Tacoma, WA, sent me this amazing picture. I have not seen anything like this before and would like to share it with you by quoting the information from her:

"Those are called "lenticular clouds". They are caused when the air-flow is just right; so, when it flows over Mt. Rainier, the air gets pushed upward where it cools and condenses into clouds.

Depending how smooth the flow is, you can get some amazing cloud formations as we have seen so far today."

I am simply fascinated with the ways of Nature.

Awaiting for the Spring

2009-01-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

I was kind of restricted lately from typing, due to two small surgeries on my arm. Nevertheless, I have been reading all your postings and was able to add few comments also. I've laughed and cried with you, thank you for sharing.

Hopefully Spring will come early this year and will make everything right for me.

Our Winter Wonderland

2009-01-06T02:34:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

Oils from Bartolome Estaban Murillo (1617-1682, Sevilla)

Virgin and Child and The Holy Family

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and St.Stephen Basilica, Budapest, Hungary.

Christmas Eve in Hungary, 1944

2008-12-15T18:39:00.001-08:00

Here we are again in our cozy homes among our beloved families and friends awaiting to celebrate Christmas. When I'm thinking back all of the Christmas Eves, a very vivid picture comes to my mind from my early childhood; not only the joyful celebration, but the brutal force of the destruction of mankind.

World War II was raging its last leg in Europe, and Hungary was the centre of the battle field. Russian troops were moving in rapidly through the Easter borders, while the German invaders were forced to retreat to the West.

I'm sitting at the table with my Mother and brother, eating our meager Christmas Eve dinner of ham and potatoes, and my Mother's "kalacs", the Hungarian bread for special holidays. Our only guest is a man, who is a teacher in the local grade school, but also the father of our little playmates. He came alone to us, because his family already had left to join their relatives in a larger city, but he had to stay and teach until Christmas vacation. He came to say "Good-bye" before he will take the journey to join them. There is a deep sadness in the air above our table that was disturbed only by the distant explosions. My brother and I are eating with huge gulps, and hardly can wait until the dinner is finished.

Our custom is that the unwrapped presents and the decorated tree are hidden behind closed doors until the dinner is finished on Christmas Eve. The living room door was locked all day while my Mother was doing "house cleaning" in there; but my brother and I know for sure that behind this door the glorious surprise is waiting for us. And when we all finish our dinner, my Mother opens the door and walks into the dark room. We just sit there waiting for the little sound of the bell to run into the room where the tree candles are glowing and the sparklers are trowing little fireworks all around us. We are joining hands for few minutes to sing the Christmas carols and to think of our loved ones. The Teacher sings with us joyfully, but his eyes are clouded with tears. It's time for him to take his journey, and after the last hugs he disappears in the cold and dark winter night.

This is a special night for us, and my brother and I are staying up for few more extra hours to explore and enjoy our presents before going to bed. But on this night that never happens, the gunshots and the explosions are getting much closer, and my Mother turns off all the lights. In the now dark house she bundles us all up and we fled on foot to a neighborhood bunker.

That was the last time we saw our Christmas tree that year, because our home got partially destroyed and we had to take shelter with friends in the next couple of months until we were able to return to our home to pick up the pieces of our lives.

I wanted to share this story with my best wishes for the Holidays to appreciate our freedom.

Peace on Earth, and Blessed Christmas to All!

And it's Winter before we know it...

2008-12-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all...

And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is...the Winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go, and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things I wish I had done but never did!!

But, at least I know, that though the Winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over...it's over...

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime..........

Ah, yes where did they go?????

The Gift of the Heart

2008-11-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

Just now, before Christmas our main concern is to buy presents for our families and friends. Gifts are wonderful if they come from our love and honest intentions.

However, the greatest gift is coming from our hearts.

LETTING PEOPLE KNOW YOU LOVE THEM!
It is easy to take our feelings for granted and to assume that the people we care for know how we feel about them. But while those we love are often cognizant of our feelings, saying "I love you" is a gift we should give to our loved ones whenever we can.

The three simple words - "I Love You" - can make a world of difference in someone's life, take a relationship to a new level, or reaffirm and strengthen a steady bond.

It can be difficult to express your love using words, particularly if you grew up around people that never expressed their affections verbally. But you never should be afraid to say it; it is important to share your feelings with those that matters to you. Love exists to be expressed, not withheld.

Saying, "I love you" is a gift of the heart sent directly via words to the heart of a recipient. Even though it may not always look that way, love from the heart is an offering that is always unconditional and given without strings attached.

That is the true essence of the gift "I LOVE YOU".
Wishing you a day filled with laughter, happiness and all the love your heart can hold.

We shall meet again...

2008-11-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

The English translation of Solveig's Song:

The winter may pass and the spring disappear, the spring disappear;
The summer too will vanish and then the year, and then the year.
But this I know for certain: you'll come back again, you'll come back again.
And even as I promised you'll find me waiting then, you'll find me waiting then.

God help you when wand'ring your way all alone, your way all alone.
God grant to you his strength as you'll kneel at his throne, as you'll kneel at his throne.
If you are in heaven now waiting for me, in heaven for me.
And we shall meet again love and never parted be, and never parted be!

Lucia Popp: Solveig's Song from Grieg's Peer Gynt

2008-11-15T10:46:00.001-08:00

With Thanksgiving Day approaching, I would like to dedicate this song to my dear husband, Len's memory, who departed this year February. Thank you for the 23 wonderful years!

This video was removed, please look up my May 17 2011 posting for the new video.

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

This US holiday stretches back to the end of World War I and commemorates the nation's thousands of combat veterans who fought in the service of their country. It was proclaimed in 1919 to commemorate the termination (at 11 AM November 11,1918) of World War I.

On the first anniversary of the truce US President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation eulogizing fallen Allied soldiers, and referring to November 11 as Armistice Day. It became a holiday in the US, France, Great Britain and Canada.

The holiday acquired its present name in the US in 1954. In Canada and Great Britain it is called Remembrance Day for the millions who died during World War I.

Let us honor all those, living and dead, who served with US arm forces in wartime...

On Halloween...

2008-10-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

I just could not resist today the temptation to post the baby pictures of my six grandchildren!

I guess, I feel a bit lonely and still awaiting for the little footsteps to approach excitedly at my door on this Eve of All Saints' Day...

These pictures were taken a long, long time ago, when the world was much younger, including myself. My little angels are almost all grown-ups now, and pursuing their own careers and lives. I am extremely proud of them, but in my heart they are still my babies.

My grandchildren

2008-10-31T15:42:00.001-07:00

Wonderful music...

2008-10-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Regardless of politics and the outcome of the Revolution, I have to point it out that I never was and never will be prejudiced against any nation. Russia gave us many great talents, and Evgeny Kissin is one of the best. I hope you will enjoy him as much as I do.

Kissin plays Grand Valse by Chopin

2008-10-26T10:46:00.001-07:00

budapest 1956

2008-10-24T07:20:00.001-07:00

Budapest October 23, 1956